Triple-A Norfolk manager Ron Johnson called Brian Matusz into his office on Monday and made official the left-hander's move to the bullpen. And so began the next phase of Matusz's professional life.
Whether it's a passing phase has yet to be determined.
The decision was born after numerous conversations involving Johnson, Orioles manager Buck Showalter, executive vice president Dan Duquette, director of pitching development Rick Peterson and Norfolk pitching coach Mike Griffin.
"Buck...
The Orioles went from being no-hit tonight to taking a 5-3 lead in the sixth inning. What the heck happened?
J.J. Hardy got the first hit off Boston starter Aaron Cook with a single into left field, and the Orioles sent 10 batters to the plate.
"J.J. got a pretty good swing on a ball. That's about it," said manager Buck Showalter. "It's one of those things where you've got a pretty good idea of what he's going to do coming in. And he was able to do it because he had that sinker...
The Orioles have taken the lead in the wild card race with tonight's 5-3 victory over the Red Sox, and they're in sole possession of second place in the American League East.
The Orioles are 4-0-1 in their last five series against the Yankees, Rays, Mariners, Royals and Red Sox.
Miguel Gonzalez registered his third consecutive quality start and has allowed three runs in his last 21 innings.
"I thought I threw the ball well," he said after permitting two runs and six hits in six innings....
Red Sox starter Aaron Cook has allowed one baserunner through four innings tonight, and it came on a leadoff walk to Nick Markakis in the bottom of the fourth. That's it.
Cook and Miguel Gonzalez were working on dueling shutouts before Jacoby Ellsbury's ground-rule double scored Scott Podsednik in the fifth. Nick Punto, who followed Podsednik's single with one of his own, scored on Carl Crawford' sacrifice fly to give Boston a 2-0 lead.
Ellsbury has a 38-game hitting streak against the...
Orioles executive vice president Dan Duquette and manager Buck Showalter still view left-hander Brian Matusz as a starter down the road. It's the current path that has led Matusz into the bullpen.
As I wrote earlier, Matusz is available to pitch in relief tonight at Triple-A Norfolk. It's conceivable that he could rejoin the Orioles in that same role as they attempt to end their lengthy playoff drought.
"It's for now. It's to address a need we have in the big leagues that we've been...
Wilson Betemit is out of the lineup again tonight because of a sore right wrist, and the Orioles have scheduled an MRI for tomorrow at 11 a.m.
Betemit hasn't started the last two games against Boston right-handers Josh Beckett and Aaron Cook. He was expected to platoon at first base with Mark Reynolds after Manny Machado became the regular third baseman.
Betemit is hitting .306 with 11 home runs against right-handers, compared to .143 with one home run vs. left-handers.
The MRI should...
The Orioles' experiment of making Brian Matusz a reliever begins tonight.
Matusz no longer will start Thursday night at Triple-A Norfolk. He's available to pitch out of the bullpen for tonight's game against Gwinnett.
Tides manager Ron Johnson summoned Matusz into his office yesterday and discussed the role change, which the Orioles believe could create a shorter path to getting the left-hander back into the majors.
Left-handed hitters are batting .223/.281/.384 against Matusz during his...
The Orioles have a chance tonight to move 11 games above .500 for the first time since June 18, when they were 39-28 after the first of three straight losses to the Mets at Citi Field.
They're 10 games above .500 for the first time since June 24, right before they lost six of their next seven games.
Brian Matusz and Jason Hammel each lost twice during that span. Matusz is currently at Triple-A Norfolk and on the verge of moving to the bullpen. Hammel is on the disabled list and on the verge...
Mark Reynolds has been in an offensive funk for most of the 2012 season. Now, he's catching fire.
How does he explain it?
"It's just baseball," he said. "That's all I can say."
That's not enough. Reporters need more. Must dissect his game like a frog in science lab.
How well is he seeing the ball?
"I don't know if it's that," he said. "I've been putting a lot of work in, and it's starting to show in the games. Tonight was just one of those nights. I got the pitches I was...
The Orioles have won seven of 10 games against the Red Sox this season, 11 of their last 15 and 13 of 17.
Mark Reynolds is 8-for-22 with three doubles, three homers, seven RBIs and six runs scored on the homestand.
Is Reynolds heating up and looking like a guy who could make a big impact down the stretch?
"I hope so," manager Buck Showalter said after tonight's 7-1 win over the Red Sox. "He's had a couple good games for us. Mark has kind of settled down first base. We've had some...
The Orioles traded for Omar Quintanilla this summer because they regarded him as a defensive upgrade in the middle infield. As a guy who could add speed to the lineup. As a guy who might improve the team's on-base percentage.
He wasn't supposed to hit home runs.
Quintanilla belted his third homer with the Orioles tonight, a solo shot leading off the bottom of the third inning that broke a scoreless tie. The ball appeared to land on Eutaw St., though we never got an announcement from the...
The Orioles made room for left-hander J.C. Romero on their 40-man roster today by designating reliever Miguel Socolovich for assignment.
Socolovich posted a 1.90 ERA in 28 games at Triple-A Norfolk and was named to the International League All-Star team. However, he registered a 6.97 ERA in six appearances and 10 1/3 innings with the Orioles during two stints with the club.
The Orioles will outright Socolovich to Norfolk if he clears waivers.
The Orioles also made Steve Johnson's promotion...
Manager Buck Showalter casually mentioned the Orioles' plans to convert left-hander Brian Matusz to a reliever. He was asked whether he was disappointed that Matusz and Jake Arrieta hadn't dominated at the Triple-A level. He noted that Arrieta usually is bitten by one bad inning. Then, he surprised reporters with news about Matusz's changing role.
Showalter and executive vice president Dan Duquette have discussed the move with Norfolk manager Ron Johnson and pitching coach Mike Griffin,...
The Orioles have discussed placing left-hander Brian Matusz in Triple-A Norfolk's bullpen, a move that is expected to happen in the near future and could lead to a role change in the majors.
Matusz is still scheduled to make another start for the Tides, but he most likely will be pulled from the rotation.
Manager Buck Showalter said the club has discussed this move for a few weeks, and the lefty is open to the idea. Anything to get back in the majors.
Left-handers are batting .223/.281/.384...
Troy Patton sprained his right ankle Sunday night after rolling it in his parking garage, a "freakish" injury that's forcing him on the 15-day disabled list.
"I was walking in the garage where I stay and caught it on the edge of the curb, at angle, and just turned it quick," he said. "I didn't think it was very bad until I woke up the next day, and it was very, very swollen. I thought it was just a little tweak, no problem."
It's a problem. Patton will go on the disabled list...
Wei-Yin Chen remains the starter for tonight's series opener against the Red Sox at Camden Yards.
Steve Johnson and J.C. Romero are listed among the relievers. Troy Patton, with crutches leaning against his locker, is headed to the disabled list with an ankle injury.
For the Orioles:
Nick Markakis RF
J.J. Hardy SS
Nate McLouth LF
Adam Jones CF
Matt Wieters C
Chris Davis DH
Mark Reynolds 1B
Manny Machado 3B
Omar Quintanilla 2B
Wei-Yin Chen LHP
The Orioles have a lot to learn about taking a day off.
They completed a trade yesterday for left-handed reliever J.C. Romero, who will join the team this afternoon at Camden Yards.
They altered their plans to call up pitcher Jason Berken after discovering that left-hander Troy Patton rolled his ankle Sunday night after leaving the ballpark.
They summoned Steve Johnson from Triple-A Norfolk in case Patton needs to go on the disabled list.
They also learned that rookie Manny Machado was...
Manny Machado's first taste of the majors keeps getting sweeter.
Machado and Red Sox first baseman Adrian Gonzalez have been named the American League Co-Players of the Week for the period ending August 12th.
Machado batted .375 (6-for-16) with a double, triple, three home runs, seven RBIs and five runs scored in four games after the Orioles selected his contract from Double-A Bowie on Thursday. He homered twice on Friday in his second game.
Machado shares the record with at least one...
Triple-A Norfolk infielder Blake Davis has been named the International League's Batter of the Week after he hit .565 with four RBIs, four runs scored and five multi-hit games.
Davis collected 13 hits in 23 at-bats. He had four hits Friday night against Charlotte.
Davis is batting .265/.313/.365 with 17 doubles, four triples, two homers and 32 RBIs in 93 games.
Jason Hammel threw in the bullpen this morning at Camden Yards and the results remain encouraging.
Hammel expects to take off a...
The Orioles are off today, which means that I'm sort of off today.
My immediate plans are to go outside and run around in circles while waiving my arms over my head. That's it. Just ... go outside and run around in circles. And the arms thing.
In case you missed my tweet last night (and shame on you for not following me at @MASNroch), Jake Arrieta's latest start at Triple-A Norfolk was a dud. He allowed six runs and five hits in 5 1/3 innings, with five walks and five strikeouts. He threw...